The Master of Divinity (M.Div.)
The Master of Divinity is the most widely recognized and accepted degree for religious professionals. The M.Div. emphasizes foundational principles necessary in the practice of ministry. Candidates are expected to gain understanding in the Christian faith and in the capacity to interpret that faith to the contemporary world; to grow as persons of faith while exercising the responsibilities of the pastoral office; to become aware of social processes that bear upon pastoral leaders and the interactions of the church and society; and to develop professional competencies important to an effective ministry.
The M.Div. is awarded at the satisfactory completion of 84 credits, 51 required and 33 elective. Students are encouraged to use elective credits to shape the curriculum to their own professional goals, to fulfill specific denominational requirements for ordination, and to become more proficient in areas where future ministry needs may have been identified.
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Admission Requirements
- Applicants must have a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university, or from an equivalent international institution. Academic work should have been rich in the liberal arts, offering general knowledge of human culture through studies in the humanities, including religion, languages, and the natural and social sciences. Applicants must be able to write clearly and effectively and have skills in public speaking.
Students whose undergraduate preparation contains little or no work in the humanities may be conditionally admitted to the Theological School with the requirement that they take one or more undergraduate courses at Drew.
- Applicants should demonstrate the capacity to do above average academic work, with a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or above (on a 4.0 scale) in a previous degree program. This capacity may also be indicated by "B" work in a selected group of courses pertinent to theological study. Those whose previous academic performance falls below this level, but who demonstrate compensating strengths, may be admitted on academic probation and limited to nine credit hours per semester until the probation is removed.
- Applicants should demonstrate capacity for leadership and, when appropriate, the potential for ordination. Applicants are normally requested to furnish evidence of relationships with their judicatory bodies and statements detailing their reasons for seeking this degree.
- Personal interviews with an admissions representative are strongly encouraged.
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Length of Program
The M.Div. program may be completed in three years of full-time study. Students who carry heavy employment or other responsibilities may extend this an additional year by carrying a lighter but still full-time load. Financial assistance may be awarded for no more than eight semesters (four years) and all requirements for the degree must be completed within 14 semesters (seven years) of the date of initial matriculation. Students may not take more than 15 credits in the fall or spring semester or 3 credits in the January term without approval of the Academic Standing Committee.
Students who cannot attend seminary full time may apply for the Extended Track Program of the Theological School. In this program, students take 15-18 credits per year including fall and spring semesters, January term, and summer terms. The program takes 5-6 years to complete on this track. Scholarships apply to all courses (even if the student is enrolled in only three credits) up to a total of 12 semesters (6 years). There are a limited number of spaces available for Extended Track students. Students should indicate an interest in this program on their application form. Contact the Associate Academic Dean for more information on this program.
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Academic Calendar
Courses are offered in the fall semester, January term, spring semester, and summer term. Many required courses are offered only in the fall and spring semesters. January term and spring semester courses are added together in considering a student's scholarship and full-time status.
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Curriculum
Theological study rests upon faith in God. Through processes of critical inquiry it moves to deeper, broader, more coherent and mature expressions of faith. The curriculum focuses on the formative traditions of Christian existence, on the mediation of these traditions to successive generations, and on the articulation of the Christian faith in personal, communal, and institutional settings. While there is no specific language requirement for the M.Div. degree, knowledge of Hebrew, Greek, and Latin are important aids to biblical study and the study of classical Christian authors. Knowledge of a second language is considered a valuable preparation for exploring contemporary theological literature and preparing for the global context of ministry.
Offerings in the curriculum are grouped into five divisions: biblical studies, church history, theology and philosophy, church and society, and pastoral theology.
Division 1. Biblical Studies build upon two contrasting yet complementary emphases. The first treats the Bible as literature produced in particular life situations. Students read biblical texts in light of the social and cultural realities of ancient Israel, early Judaism, and the emergent Christian movement. The second treats the Bible as the faith witness to the presence of God. Students clarify the role of that witness for their own faith and to guide the life and thought of contemporary communities of faith.
Division 2. Church History recognizes that our conditions are historically formed. We never begin at the beginning but always in settings marked by long periods of development. Historical studies heighten awareness of intellectual and social influences shaping the current situation of church and world, and provide analyses of faith in action that illuminate theological formation, identifying directions to emulate and tendencies to avoid.
Division 3. Theology and Philosophy have their center in the contemporary appropriation of the riches of the biblical and historical experience of the church. Some courses stress obedient listening to received traditions, others, the unique challenge presented by the emergence of the modern world. Yet others examine the wisdom and insight of the great world religions, their contrasts and opposition; others pursue the effects and scope of what individuals perceive as revelation. In all cases students take responsibility for mediating and reformulating the concepts in a manner that engages the contemporary world. The aim is to present a vital and authentic Christian faith incorporating the richness and diversity of the global church.
Division 4. Church and Society courses direct attention to the social and cultural forces that shape and condition communities, their internal development and mission. They aggressively confront social and institutional oppression, so often systemic in human society, with a commitment to liberating praxis nourished by liberated and liberating communities. Students look at the ways in which Christian faith and ministry use the resources and approaches necessary to understand the implications of such actions and counteractions. Global awareness highlights the worldwide context of the church's life and thought.
Division 5. Pastoral Theology courses help candidates become more attentive to their own experiences as growing, maturing persons of faith. Students are challenged to examine their experiences of the Christian heritage and their calling in ministry. This culminates in a theology of ministry that embraces personal experiences, the realities of the pastoral office, practical understanding stemming from direct involvement in ministry, and a coherent and pertinent appropriation of Christian faith.
Theological study ultimately leads to the enactment of Christian faith in the practice of ministry, a teamwork of the whole people of God, lay and ordained. It flourishes best with competent leadership. Such leadership requires not only a mature and thoughtful spirituality, but also a substantial range of skills and competencies. Especially important are those that span all aspects of ministerial practice: listening, interpreting, communicating; building groups and communities, enabling collective decisions and commitments, providing a challenge to lay leadership, mission, and service; offering care, support, nurture, and guidance. Courses in pastoral theology assist candidates in developing such competencies through worship and preaching, teaching, pastoral care, church music, communications, pastoral leadership, and administration. Supervised ministerial practice is central in the program's commitment to pastoral effectiveness.
The following learning outcomes are anticipated for Master of Divinity students:
- the ability to see the holy in all life –in the entirety of creation
- the ability to read and interpret scripture and other sacred texts with cultural sensitivity, ethical awareness, and a critical understanding of their histories, interpretations, and applications in church and society
- the ability to think theologically with imagination, openness, and analytical insight
- the ability to interpret histories of Christian thought and practice critically and creatively, engaging the otherness of the past while also rendering it relevant to current contexts and emerging possibilities
- the ability to hear God’s call to recognize and address injustice and inequality in the social structuring of gender, ethnicity, race, class, disabilities, and sexual identity
- the capacity to exercise effective leadership in both ecclesial and public contexts through, for example, preaching, teaching, pastoral care, worship, and justice ministries
- the development of communal and personal practices that nourish spiritual and moral well-being.
- transformative engagement during the seminary years with religious pluralism and cultural difference in the classroom, on cross cultural trips, and in community life
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Distribution of Courses
In each of the five divisions there are basic (required) and advanced (elective) courses. Candidates with a solid background in religious studies may be exempted from some basic courses and encouraged to move directly into advanced courses.
Basic (required) credits are distributed as follows:
Biblical Studies (BIBST). Two basic courses, three credits each: BIBST 101/Biblical Literature 1 and BIBST 111/Biblical Literature 2.
Church History (CHIST). Two basic courses, three credits each: CHIST 202/Church History 1 and CHIST 203/Church History 2.
Theology and Philosophy (THEPH). One basic course, one advanced seminar, and a third prerequisite course for students without prior course work in philosophy (all three credits each): THEPH 301/Systematic Theology; any advanced seminar in the division; and, for those students without prior work in philosophy, THEPH 300/Philosophical Resources for Theology.
Church and Society (CHSOC). Two basic courses, three credits each: CHSOC 400/Christian Ethics; and CHSOC 401/Religion and the Social Process. CHSOC 401 shoud be taken before CHSOC 400.
Pastoral Theology (PASTH). One basic course of three credits: PASTH 501a-b/Pastoral Formation; six credits of supervised ministry (PASTH 521, 522); four three-credit basic courses: PASTH 503/Introduction to Educational Ministries; PASTH 504/Introduction to Pastoral Care; PASTH 505: The Church @ Worship: Worship and PASTH 506 The Church @ Worship: Preaching.
World Religions Requirement. Students are required to take one course in world religions. THEPH 308/Challenge of World Religions to Christian Practice meets this requirement as do several other courses.
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Cross-Cultural Study at Drew Theological School
The mission of the Theological School is to "empower leadership for a global Christianity of justice, ecumenism, and the integrity of creation. Its pastoral, spiritual, and conceptual disciplines grow within an intimate liturgical and communal context, one that sustains multiple relations of difference."
Formation of students as religious leaders that are capable of ministering within a complex and diverse society requires those students to have encounters with the other that are transformative and result in a greater ability to move between and among people of many different backgrounds, values, and belief systems. In the classroom and in the community life of the school, students are encouraged to wrestle with difference in a global context and to think about its impact on their developing understandings of ministry. Cross-cultural study-required of all Master of Divinity students-takes students out of their familiar, everyday existence and introduces them to other cultures in the United States and beyond its borders.
The cross-cultural requirement consists of a total of three credits and is met through the following:
A ten-hour, one credit pre-departure course that introduces students to the religious, political, historical, economic, and social life of the culture chosen. A two credit immersion experience of two to three weeks in the chosen culture. In most cases students travel abroad for this course. With prior permission of the faculty committee that oversees the requirement, students may fulfill the requirements by participating in a domestic program approved by the faculty of the school.
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Sequence of Courses
To avoid serious scheduling conflicts and to assure the necessary prerequisites for continuing study, full-time students should complete the following courses in the first year: both courses in biblical studies; both courses in church history; Public Practice of Theology; and Religion and the Social Process. Students are also encouraged to take Philosophical Resources for Theology (if required), Systematic Theology, and some of the requirements in Pastoral Theology. Students should complete the following courses by the end of the second year of study: at least one course in Theology and Philosophy; one course in Church and Society; nine credits in Pastoral Theology; and both sections of Supervised Ministerial Practice.
Online courses are being developed for some elective courses. The United Methodist History, Doctrine, and Polity course (6 credits), required by the United Methodist Church for ordination, is offered each year in both an online and regular classroom format. Chist 244 (Logon 244) Evangelism in the United Methodist Tradition is also offered regularly. Summer Session course offerings will include a certain number of required courses as well as electives each year. Scholarships are not available for summer term courses due to the reduced tuition rate for these courses.
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Contextual Learning: Ministerial Practice
Master of Divinity students are required to take Supervised Ministerial Practice in their second year of study. Designed to prepare religious leaders for the 21st century, the program teaches students how to be ministers, by offering the guidance of those who already are experienced ministers. Through exposure to recognized ministerial leaders, work in field settings, and enrollment in a yearlong seminar, students are assisted to develop disciplined ways of attending critically to the practice of ministry, informed by theological understanding.
Students immediately out of college discover that the experience develops confidence, and they learn basic leadership skills; second-career students who come with considerable life experience are helped to adapt previously gained competencies to the work of ministry.
Drew's location in a suburban New Jersey setting within the New York metropolitan area provides unlimited secular and ecclesiastical opportunities for ministerial practice. Urban, exurban, suburban, and rural settings are all nearby.
Admission to the M.Div. program does not, in itself, imply a right to a supervised placement. Students must demonstrate individual readiness for the responsibilities supervised ministry assignments require. The supervised ministry staff assesses readiness through a variety of preparatory steps, including psychological testing, counseling, and/or completion of a preliminary supervised task.All students must complete a required workshop on issues of clergy sexual ethics prior to enrolling in this course.
Students may seek assignment in either churches or agencies. The school helps students obtain such placement. Students who serve as student pastors are responsible for a parish and serve under the supervision of a judicatory official. While the school ordinarily cannot place students in full-charge positions, since that responsibility belongs to denominational authorities, we can direct students to proper denominational contacts. Student pastors are ordinarily advised to take a limited academic load and to plan to take at least four years to complete the degree.
Supervised ministry students also participate in weekly peer reflection groups, led by experienced pastors, to analyze and discuss their experiences and to interpret them in terms of basic theological understanding. Learning-serving covenants-negotiated with the program director, the student's supervisor, and a teaching committee made up of lay people in the ministerial setting-help set priorities for the year and define guiding activities. Supervisors and teaching committees meet regularly with students and twice yearly provide an overall performance evaluation. Students also prepare a report of their activities and a self-assessment of their work, taking special account of theological interpretations.
Supervised ministry assignments are an integral part of the student's academic progress and, therefore, the requirements of conduct as a member of the Drew University community apply, as well as accepted standards of ethics in pastoral office. Academic dishonesty, sexual harassment, or other injurious behavior in a supervised ministry placement subject the student to University disciplinary action.
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Alternative Service
Students are encouraged to determine whether their judicatory officials recommend or require Clinical Pastoral Education (C.P.E.) for ordination. In some cases, with approval of the director of supervised ministry, students may apply three credits of PASTH 595/C.P.E. toward the required six credits in Supervised Ministerial Practice. The Theological School is a member of the Association for Clinical Pastoral Education, composed of accredited clinical pastoral training organizations for seminary students and clergy, whose 400 U.S. institutional members annually offer 12-week summer programs in various clinical settings. Equivalent programs are also offered on a part-time basis during the academic year, enabling students to include clinical training in their regular academic programs. Six credits are granted for the successful completion of a full C.P.E. program.
Students may also meet the requirement in Supervised Ministerial Practice by taking PASTH 647/Intern Year, usually after two years of on-campus study. Those in approved assignments are expected to participate in preparatory and post-intern year conferences. They must maintain a journal, reflecting issues of ministry arising in their intern year, which provides a basis for supervisory conferences with the school. In addition, the intern must write a faculty-supervised paper reflecting on his or her ministerial practice. The Office of Supervised Ministry assists students in securing intern-year assignments. Six academic credits are given for satisfactory completion.
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Ministerial Internship/INTRT 690
This internship allows students to supplement their academic knowledge with hands-on experience through employment in their field of study. Students will put theory into practice to gauge its effectiveness in real-life settings. The internship will be for one credit per year, renewable for up to six years, but the credit will not apply toward academic programs.
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Study Abroad
The Theological School encourages study abroad and makes several opportunities available. Such studies are most appropriate to the M.Div. program, and students generally plan to take advantage of these during their second year of studies after approval by the Committee on Academic Standing.
A petition to study abroad should include a prospectus of the student's entire curriculum for the degree sought, describing how all requirements will be met between courses taken at Drew and those taken abroad. Applications must be submitted to the committee no later than March 1 of the year preceding the one to be taken abroad.
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The English Language Program
The English Language program offered to non-native English-speaking students is a non-credit academic support program staffed by the Office of English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL). The program is designed to assist students in all aspects of their English language development while studying at the Theological School. Since it is assumed that students matriculating in the Theological School have developed their English language skills to the level of proficiency required for admission, its primary objective is to provide students with supplementary developmental language instruction that enables them to engage both actively and productively in their academic experience at Drew. Participation in the program is open to all students matriculated in the Theological School whose first language is not English.
The program comprises the following: content-based courses, which complement various required courses, are designed to further develop speaking and writing skills, particularly in the Master of Divinity program; simulated seminars for S.T.M. and M.T.S. students, which provide the opportunity to develop skills and techniques to engage with greater ease in regularly scheduled seminars; mini-courses, which are offered to target specific skills, such as pronunciation, listening comprehension, and interviewing techniques; a conversation partners program, which enhances proficiency in informal English; individual consultations, by appointment, for purposes of reviewing the organization, content, and appropriate documentation of research papers and reports; and a Spring Workshop Series, specifically offered for graduating students to assist them as they prepare to enter their careers in ministry or more advanced graduate programs of study.
Specific options are available to first-year students, including regularly scheduled weekly meetings with the ESOL Director.
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The Hispanic Summer Program
Drew is one of nearly 40 A.T.S. seminaries sponsoring the Hispanic Summer Program (H.S.P.). Offered every summer for two weeks of intensive study, the H.S.P. is an ecumenical and itinerant theological school (held every year in a different seminary and region of the U.S.) accredited by the Association of Theological Schools. Drew students interested in Hispanic ministry can take up to two 2-credit courses each summer from among a choice of eight (usually 6 in Spanish, 2 in English). Credits from the program are transferred as Pass/Fail to the Drew degree through petition to the Committee on Academic Standing . Students are advised to apply in January for the following summer. Fees for Drew students (comprising air fare, room, board, tuition and credits' fees) are usually under $400.
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Ordination
Ordination, a separate process from academic preparation, is the responsibility of a church or denomination. Since the ordination process may require as much as three years, many students begin the process as early as the first year at Drew. Each student should contact denominational officials before enrolling in the Theological School, although in some cases the student may enroll before determining the appropriate denomination in which to minister.
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Requirements for United Methodist Candidates
Drew Theological School works in cooperation with United Methodist district and conference Boards of Ordained Ministry to prepare students for their ministries. Students seeking ordination as elder should enroll in the M.Div. program. Students seeking ordination as deacon working in specialized ministries can enroll in the M.Div. program, or the M.A. in Min. program, or enroll as a non-matriculated student in Intensive Basic Theological Graduate Studies courses. Students seeking certification in camp/retreat ministries can complete educational requirements in either an M.Div. or M.A. in Min. program, or January and summer specialized intensive courses.
The United Methodist Church requires all candidates for ordination to meet educational requirements, specifically including History, Doctrine, and Polity. This requirement is met by the two-semester sequence in CHIST 260-261/United Methodist History, Doctrine, and Polity I & II (six credits total). Drew's online course LOGON 260/261 meets the requirements for the Book of Discipline. United Methodist students meeting ordination requirements should take the required two-course sequence in the second or third year.
UM students must also fulfill the requirement in evangelism. CHIST 244/Evangelism in the Methodist Tradition is specifically designed to meet that requirement.
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Ordination Requirements for Other Denominations
Some denominations require knowledge of their polity, competence in biblical languages, or proficiency in certain courses or subjects. Students should ascertain the specific requirements of the denomination. Drew provides a variety of denominational history, doctrine, and polity courses (PASTH 632). Students may also take those courses at other seminaries with prior approval of the Academic Standing Committee for transfer of credit to Drew.
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Cross Registration
Drew students may cross-register for courses at Union Theological School (interdenominational), New York Theological Seminary (interdenominational), and General Theological Seminary (Episcopal) through Drew University's Office of the Registrar. These courses are billed at Drew's tuition rate and student scholarships apply.
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The Master of Divinity/Master of Social Work
The combination M.Div./M.S.W. degree is particularly attractive to students interested in ministries of counseling or community development. Drew Theological School and Monmouth University Department of Social Work offer a dual degree program that allows students to complete the M.Div. and M.S.W. in four years of full time study. Students interested in the M.Div./M.S.W. combination should consult with the Admissions office and the Associate Academic Dean.
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